Lunar Cry
by Marree
Summary: Now it begins. This first chapter has a kinda gothic tone, but it lightens up in the next chapters o^-^o A Lunar Cry happens in our time...
1. Chapt. 1

Lunar Cry: The Beginning   
Chapter 1   
by Mariye   
  
------   
Disclaimer: I really don't own anything here... wait a second, I DO!   
WOW! But the things that are familiar to you are all things owned by   
Square. Hey, also, just got past the point in FF8 where they get the   
Ragnarok and all that stuff...   
A/N: Again, thanks to my beta-readers Whitewolf and MegalomaniacHaruka.  
------  
  
The year is 2002.   
It is a normal spring afternoon.   
The sun is setting.   
Tornado and storm sirens blaze in the distance.   
The streets of the Chicago suburbs are oddly dead.   
Lights are on in houses, but no people can be seen.   
There is one lone house...   
In the house a single tv screen flickers, and a shadow can be seen in   
front of it.   
  
{[Hello, I am Walter Jacobson and this is a FOX news alert. NASA   
scientists have reported strange black areas moving over 2 of the   
moon's craters. These areas are slowly starting to pull away from the   
surface. We go live to the NASA press conference at the Cape in   
Florida.   
-Hello, I am Dr. Steiren. These masses appear to be living creatures.   
We ask everyone to remain in their homes and evacuate to their   
basements or lowest levels. This is what we are going to call a Lunar   
Cry. Right now we are unsure whether the creatures are hostile or not.   
To be safe though, we are asking people to remain in their homes. The   
government will handle everything.-   
There you have it. Please stay tuned to a FOX news for details as they   
arrive.]}   
  
The shadow moves forward. Almost like there is no person that owns it.   
It moves towardthe window and wall and walks through it, hovering over   
the bushes, moving out into the isolated street. The shadow does   
belong to a person though. Person is a general term though. As what   
appears to be arms stretch for the sky, it changes from a two   
dimensional figure into a shape with form. First it remains inky   
black, then, slowly, a clear crystal crown grows out from it's   
forehead. Crystal bracelets and gloves grow and cover its hands. Then,   
its eyes... they glow with the colors of the rainbow. It would have   
been a beautiful, yet eerie image, if it had been imaginary, just a   
figment of someone's overactive imagination captured in a picture. But   
it was real, and as a black fog surrounded it, it would most likely   
have struck fear into the heart of even the strongestGod-fearing man.  
  
From this mistake of nature came a voice. Haunting, yet mesmerizing.   
It would be the voice heard around the world.   
  
"It has begun..."   
  
It was clearly feminine. Icy and cold. Sharp as the crystal shadow   
creature it came from.   
  
The fog grew restless at her feet, and surrounded her. It expanded,   
and covered everything, never stopping. It bolted upward, higher and   
higher, coating everything and making it inky black.   
  
Then, the sky went black.   
  
People never saw the sky falling down on them.   
  
How could they?   
  
So they believed what their imaginations told them.   
  
If they had seen, they would have known it was not truly the sky   
crumbling down and ruining everything, but a large, obelisk shaped   
building and the minions of a great evil.   
------   
[2 b continued...]   
[Hi, I kno this is gloomy + depressing. Don't worry, it'll get   
better... Also, the first chapter is kinda short. The second will be   
longer.] 


	2. Chapt. 2

Lunar Cry: Meetings  
Chapter 2  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Disclaimer: I own all the characters. FF8 did inspire this though. The  
question right now is, is this a prequel to FF8, or showing what   
would happen if a Lunar Cry happened on Earth.  
Thanks to my beta-reader for this one, Whitewolf. I'm slowly going off   
beta-readers, now that I see that this story is starting to actually kind of  
shape up decently... o^-^o   
Thanks again to Whitewolf and MegalomaniacHaruka for all the help they were  
when I was starting this series!  
======  
  
  
[year: 2017. 15 years after the Lunar Cry]  
  
  
"Listen, I may look young, but I'm not gonna let you stiff me on this  
deal. I hunted out there for five hours straight. FIVE HOURS! And all  
you're gonna give me is a room for the night? What kinda Haven is  
this?" A young woman, dressed in a baggy yellow sweatshirt with a   
black sleeveless turtleneck catsuit under it yelled as she slammed her  
hand on the wall next to her. The tall man in front of her flinched  
slightly, trying to hide emotion.  
  
"Times are tough. Thats all we have right now. What do you expect in  
the middle of a fresh attack? Take it or leave it. Back when I was a   
Rogue on the move I woulda been thankful for a room after work." The  
30 year old man rubbed his hands together. "Well?" The woman looked  
at him.  
  
"Don't patronize me old man. Fine. But I'll never work here for you  
again." She pushed past him into the main part of the Haven, the bar  
and lounge.   
  
"The rooms are upstairs!" He called after her.  
  
The woman walked up to the bar and sat down. A seedy looking bartender  
with greasy black hair and a hook for a hand walked up to her.  
  
"Not many women Rogues around here. Where you from?"  
  
"Nowhere. Gimme something hard." The girl pulled the satchel off her  
back and put it down on the bar in front of her.  
  
"Depends, how old are ya?"  
  
"24." The bartender looked her up and down.  
  
"Yeah, and I meant to do this." He waved his hook in front of her.  
  
"18." The girl put her elbows on the bar and looked around. A few   
other random Rogues were around. A few around her age. One or two   
older. None younger.  
  
"Hardest I can give you is this new drink. Made from this grass they  
found growin somewhere. Its called Krakka." The man put the bottle   
in front of her. "Have a name?"  
  
"Yeah." She took a small sip, cringed, the put the bottle down and  
pushed it away.  
  
"Don't think just because you don't like it, you don't have to pay  
for it." The girl glared at the bartender and pushed a crinkled bill  
in towards him.  
  
"We only take gil here. No paper money, too easy to forge."  
  
"Fine." She took back the dollars and pushed some gil towards him. As  
he walked away, she let her attention wander.  
  
"Did you hear about the latest attack?" The girl turned sharply,   
thinking the remark was meant for her. Instead, she saw two young   
Rogues a little further down talking. She let herself eavesdrop.  
  
"Where this time?" A man, a little older then herself, asked. He   
never looked up from the map he was reading.  
  
"A little Haven near old Chicago. Its in the middle of a forest   
though. Hard to get to. They'll probably send out a call for Rogues  
soon."  
  
"You gonna go Wedge?"  
  
"Nah, too far. You Hasani?"  
  
"Maybe, I could use an adventure. Depends on the pay too. Who started  
the attack?"  
  
"Sorceress again. That Baign guy led the attack."  
  
The girl laughed. "Sorceress, yeah right." The two men turned to look  
at her.  
  
"What do you mean yeah right?" The one who had called himself Wedge   
asked as Hasani and him turned to face her. She turned to look at   
both of them.  
  
"The sorceress is like... like the Boogie Man. She's an imaginary   
person for everyone to blame. That way, well, say this guy Baign   
attacks a village. Instead of people blaming another human. Another  
'one of their kind.'" The woman got all dramatic. "They can blame  
an evil, unholy Sorceress." Wedge looked all flustered, while Hasani  
laughed.  
  
"If you look at it that way, it seems stupid to believe in a   
Sorceress. You're all right..." Hasani looked at her questionably.  
  
"Terentia Weatta."  
  
"I'm Hasani Feren, and this guy here is Wedge. Wedge knows everything  
thats happening. Helps me get a lot of good jobs. I guess you heard  
about that attack we were talking about. You gonna head out if they  
call for re-enforcements?"  
  
"Probably. Got the short end of the stick on this job here. Maybe I'll  
get better if I go."  
  
"Yeah, I hear ya. I got only a meal for working three hours." Wedge  
said while taking out his dagger.  
  
"Yeah, all I got was a room for the night." Terentia said while   
playing with a peanut that sat on the counter.  
  
"I got a room too. Its sad. Seattle Haven and Dollet Haven pay much  
better. Maybe we should report this one..."  
  
"Too many forms. Too much paper work. Besides, you remember what   
happened to that guy Biggs when he reported a guild." Wedge grabbed  
a handful of peanuts. "I'm gonna buy a room for the night. See you  
when ever I see you Hasani. Nice to meet you Terentia."  
  
"Bye." Hasani turned to look at Terentia. "Listen, I'm not gonna stay  
at a place like this that doesn't appreciate Rogues, are you?"  
  
"Nah." Terentia tossed back her hair.   
  
"Wanna head with me to the Forest Haven? I hate traveling alone.   
Besides, groups of Rogues can usually get better conditions."   
Terentia looked at Hasani.  
  
"I usually travel alone, thanks. I prefer it."  
  
"Come on. Its rough in the forested areas now a days."  
  
Terentia looked at him. He was right. "Fine. We each pull our own  
weight though."  
  
"Agreed. Lets go."  
  
======  
  
[the end for now...] 


	3. Chapt. 3

Lunar Cry: The Journey Begins  
Chapter 3  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Disclaimer: This was inspired by the FF8 series. Is it a prequel?   
Or a sequel... hmmm... could Hyne have come to our dimension 2? Or  
is our world really the world of FF8, only in the future?  
======  
  
[The plains between the woodland Haven and the St. Louis Haven]  
  
"I thought you said it wasn't that far." Terentia said while leaning  
against a huge elm tree. She exhaled and caused a strand of hair that  
had fallen in her face to move aside. Hasani sat down on a grassy  
patch and pulled out an old map.  
  
"Well, aparently this map that Wedge gave me is a bit... outdated.  
It doesn't even show that railroad track we passed..." He smoothed   
a corner, and it ripped off. He stared at it, then crumpled it and  
tossed it aside.   
  
"If we had followed the tracks like I had wanted..." Terentia looked  
up and grabbed for the lowest tree branch. She pulled herself up on  
top of it and sat on it.  
  
"Then we would have been out in the open and attacked by beasts and  
monsters every five seconds. Plus we might have run into that Baign  
guy." Hasani took out a pen and traced a small line from where they  
just were, then smiled and placed it back in his pocket. He turned to   
look at Terentia, only to find she was halfway up the tree.  
  
"What are you doing?" He asked, picking up the map and refolding it  
according to the creases. He tried repeatedly, but it would not refold.  
He looked at the front and silently cursed the man named Rand McNally  
who had drawn that particular map.  
  
"Gonna see if I can see any Haven flags." Terentia said without   
pausing as she continued her climb.  
  
"Yeah, that WOULD work, except this Haven is in the dead center of  
this forest, and is probably surrounded by trees. You wouldn't see  
any sign of it."   
  
Terentia sighed, slid down a few branches and looked in his direction  
with an exhasperated look. "Fine. Then I'm climbing to avoid those  
overgrown mosquitos that are heading this way."  
  
"Overgrown mosquitos?" Hasani turned around. Flying toward him   
were a squadron of blue bugs that were each about three feet long and  
wide.   
  
"Bite Bugs? But what are they doing here?" Hasani asked. It was then  
that the bugs' leader saw him and started right for him. It started  
to try to attack Hasani. He darted forward and slashed with his   
sword, as he hit the bug, a shot went out, and the bug fell.   
Terentia leaped from the tree and ran up to him.  
  
"What is that? And what was that noise?"  
  
"I'll tell you later. Let's get rid of these nuisances first."  
  
They quickly dispatched the five bugs, and after collecting the two  
potions they had left behind, Terentia immediately stood in front of  
Hasani.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well what?" He asked as he slowly cleaned the blade of his weapon.  
  
"What is that?" Terentia pushed the rag he was using away. She   
inspected the weapon he held.  
  
"This from the woman who barely speaks the entire journey and is   
always so formal? Actual curiosity?" She gave him a look.  
  
"Okay. I'm sorry. I'm not used to co-operating and co-existing with   
people for extended periods of time. I'll work on it. Now what is   
that?"  
  
"Its my own design. I call it a gunblade."  
  
"Gunblade?" Terentia backed up as Hasani lifted the blade and   
swiped and attacked air.  
  
"Yeah. I liked swords and guns, and when I was trying to decide on   
a weapon, I decided to make my decision easier and combined the two.  
It's hard to master at first, but once you're used to it, its the   
best weapon you can use. Very handy." Hasani stopped and looked at   
Terentia.  
  
"Must have been expensive though..."  
  
"A little. My dad was a cop though, so I just used his old gun. The  
sword was expensive though, and it was hard to find a way to combine  
them..." Hasani sheathed his gunblade and looked at her. "It looks  
like if we keep heading that way we'll be at the other Haven soon."  
She nodded and they started walking.  
  
"You must have been proud of him." Terentia said as she kicked a   
rock that dared be in her path.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Your dad." The two walked in silence for a while.   
  
"Yeah. I guess. I didn't know him that well. He died when I was about  
7 during the Lunar Cry. What about you? You proud of your parents?"  
  
"I prefer not to talk about it."  
  
"Fine."  
  
---  
  
[about 1 hour later]  
  
"Finally!" Hasani walked into the town and up to the sign announcing   
the Haven. "Timber Haven! That's what I thought it was called.   
Wedge kept saying it was something different though. So where should  
we start? Store? Restaurant?" Terentia stretched and looked around.  
The town looked deserted.  
  
"Let's try the Haven first. See if they want help and where everyone  
is."  
  
"Fine"   
  
The two walked to a large building in the back of town made entirely  
of black brick. Huge copper doors blocked the entrance, and all the  
windows were bricked shut. Hasani and Terentia exchanged a look.  
  
"This is the first Haven I've seen like this, and I've even been to   
the Orlando Fisherman's Haven and the Haven on the lower continent.  
What are they calling that now?"  
  
"Centra. I know. I've never seen anything like this either... its   
kind of eerie. Maybe we're too late..." Hasani pulled the handle on  
the door. It didn't budge.  
  
"Do you think Baign would possible slaughter a whole village and   
board of its Haven? Seems like a lot of work that would take too much  
time with very little benefits." Terentia grabbed the handle Hasani  
held and they pulled at the same time. Nothing happened.  
  
"You never know. People say he's a mad man. Crazy people do crazy   
things." They both gave up on the door. Terentia kicked it in   
frustration. They heard a scurrying noise on the other side of the  
door, and a small panel opened in front of them. A pair of blue eyes  
peered out at them.  
  
"My how the forests of Timber have changed..."   
  
"What?" Terentia looked strangely at the eyes.  
  
"My how the forests of Timber have..."  
  
"We heard you the first time." Hasani said while leaning against the  
door. "We just came here from the St. Louis Haven. Heard you were   
attacked by Baign and figured you'd wanna hire some extra Rogues for   
a while. What do you say?"  
  
"My how the forests of Timber..."  
  
"Is this some kind of test? Listen. We came to help. If you don't   
want it, fine." Terentia started to walk away. Hasani watched her   
start to go.  
  
"Wedge only told us you were attacked. That's it." Hasani said.   
  
"Wedge sent you?" The voice said. Terentia noticed the change and   
walked back over.  
  
"Yeah. He gave us an old defective map too." Hasani said, pulling out  
the tattered map that was sloppily folded back into a cube. The   
eyes shifted around.  
  
"Fine. Since you know Wedge, I'll try and make it easier for you.  
My how the forests of Timber have changed. Now pick one of these   
phrases. Is it A: But the Chocobos are still here. B: But the  
Moggles are still here. C: But the Owls are still here."  
  
Hasani and Terentia looked at each other.  
  
"What's a moggle?" Terentia asked as she folded her arms across  
her chest.  
  
"They're koala cats with an antenna and bat wings. What's a Chocobo?"  
  
"Kinda like a yellow ostrich." Terentia looked at the eyes of  
the man behind the door. "How about C, but the Owls are still here?"  
  
"Lucky guess." The eyes vanished. Hasani looked at Terentia.   
  
"Do you even know what owls are?" She whispered to him as the copper  
door started to open.  
  
"I think they used to be a kind of bird..."  
  
======  
  
[the end... more coming...] 


	4. Chapt. 4

Lunar Cry: Sorting Things Out  
Chapter 4  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Disclaimer: Do I really need this? Nah, but better safe than sorry.  
This series was inspired by FF8 and involves it.  
======  
  
Terentia and Hasani walked slowly into Timber Haven, unsure of what to expect.  
  
"Were you raised in a barn? Shut the door after you!" A voice of an old woman yelled at them. Terentia quickly pulled it shut. The main hall was sparcely furnished. There wasn't even the usual processing desk there. Only a beaten off white couch and an end table were there,  
along with the man who had let them in.  
  
~Weird place. Well, what did I expect? We're out in the boondocks.~ Terentia thought.  
  
"I'm Cid. I run this Haven. So word of what happened here reached other Havens? When will we receive our backup?" He walked over and shook each of their hands.  
  
"We might be it." Terentia said as she smoothed back her yellow hair.  
  
"And you're lucky we even came. Almost didn't but the last Haven we were working at stiffed us when it came time to pay us for our work, so we decided to move on." Hasani plopped himself down on the couch. "So what exactly happened and what do you want us to do?" Cid looked at the two of them.  
  
"You're it? I guess... I guess we'll make do. If we're going to talk though, then lets at least go into the bar area. Its a little more comfortable. This way." He started to lead them further in.  
  
"Sorry about the mess in here. When they attacked, they set a few fires. Didn't cause any major damage though." He lead them into a small sitting room, with a desk and a bookcase.  
  
~Okay, this is really strange...~ Terentia ran her hand along the dust covered desk.  
  
"Um, where's the bar?" Terentia asked. Cid smiled at her and tapped a book in the bookcase. The desk suddenly moved to reveal a staircase leading underground.   
  
"We figured since this is a wooded area and we have very little chance of people getting here if we needed help, that we should have the actual Haven underground. In case of emergencies." The three walked down the stairs into a bustling little bar, filled with Rogues and regular people. Everyone looked happy and was doing something. A few children ran over to Cid.  
  
"Cid's back!"  
  
"Help's come! Yay!"  
  
"Woo hoo! Ms. Jessie! Cid's back!"   
  
The three kids danced around him until a woman with long blond hair came up. She shooed them away, then greeted the newcomers.  
  
"I'm so glad you've come. Even though not too much damage was done, we still have heard rumors of Zone wandering around here." She shook Hasani and Terentia's hands. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"  
  
~Hmmm, so is she his wife, or girlfriend...~ Terentia thought as she looked at the glance Jessie gave Cid. ~Shoot, I'm usually good at reading these kinds of signals. Must be because of all the traveling lately.~  
  
"No. We're fine. So what do you want us to do?" Terentia asked while she walked to the bar. She sat down on a stool near the door.  
  
"Yes, we'd like to have the business aspect of all this worked out now. Mission, situations, case history, compensation, etc." Hasani said while taking the stool next to her. Cid and Jessie looked at each other. Jessie looked shocked, while Cid shrugged, being used to the   
attitudes of most Rogues.  
  
"Fine." Cid leaned on the bar and ordered a round of drinks. "Because this Haven is deserted and isolated, we have been targeted for many attacks by the sorceress."  
  
"Alleged sorceress." Terentia cut in. Cid shot an odd astonished look at her, while Hasani rolled his eyes.  
  
"By the 'alleged sorceress' and her knight Baign. The last attack was the worst so far, but at the last second, Baign seemed like he something more important to attend to and left. His second-in-command Zone was left behind. Luckily, we had Mingrui here. She was able to  
catch him off guard and attack him. When he saw the sight of his own blood, he ran."  
  
"And a coward like that is a second-in-command." Hasani said while grabbing the bottle in front of him. He glanced at the label, took a sip, and kept drinking. Terentia looked at her bottle, recognized the red label, and cringed. She pushed hers away.  
  
~Not more of this stuff. The last one was too bitter.~  
  
"We know that he is still in the area, and we've heard rumors about Baign being with him. We're tired of people sitting around with a sorceress and her knight around. We want to take action. We would want the two of you to hunt them down and get rid of them. Baign, 'alleged' sorceress, Zone. Foil their plans. As for compensation, you each will receive 5000 gil and $2500 dollars if you bring back some proof of Zone's defeat. I'll double that if you  
bring back proof of Baign's defeat. And, in the unlikely event you actually can reach the sorceress, I will pay you 500,000 gil and $1,000,000. " Hasani and Terentia exchanged a look. "Remember, if you accept, you can not take any other jobs until you defeat Baign and Zone. You will be committed to this mission. It is also not an easy one. But we need to start getting rogues out there attacking the root of the problem, instead of just its offspring."  
  
"We agree to your terms. Now, if you'll excuse us, we should be going." Terentia said, getting up and walking back towards the stairs. Hasani got up and fell in step along side her.  
  
"Hold up, can't we even rest up for like an hour? We've been on the road all this time..."  
  
"The quicker we get the job done, the quicker we'll be back. Then we can rest."  
  
"Fine."   
  
The two started up the stairs when Cid stopped them.  
  
"I almost forgot. Mingrui!"   
  
A slender, small girl with black hair bounced up and appeared next to him. She smiled at him, then pulled out a metallic fan and held it in front of her face.  
  
"Hi Cid! What's up? Work for me?"  
  
"Yes. Hasani and Terentia are going to be hunting down Zone and Baign. Since you know what Zone looks like and what direction he went, you'll be assisting them, and in so be caught up in their contract."  
  
"Sure! Cool! Hi!" Mingrui hopped up the steps to Hasani and Terentia. She gave an elaborate bow. "I'm Mingrui Wu, but you can call me Ming. Are we ready?"   
  
Terentia rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. Hasani had a huge grin on his face.   
  
~Was I ever like that? That happy and childlike?~  
  
"Yeah, we're ready, but you... are you sure you're old enough to be doing this kinda thing?"  
  
Ming looked at him and stuck out her tongue. "I'm 16 and a half mister. Just because you're an old geezer don't assume that every Rogue under 18 can't get the job done. Age discrimination." The three emerged in the old library. Ming tapped a book in the case and the  
desk moved back over the staircase. Ming looked at Terentia.  
  
"So are you gonna be a meany too?"  
  
"Well, I really see no problem." Hasani looked at her in surprise. She started to explain. "I started young too. Also, other young Rogues have surprised me before. But I also partially agree with Hasani here. You don't even have a weapon."   
  
"See, we're sorry, but if you would just point us in the right direction, then we'll be going, and you can go home." Hasani stood in front of Ming, towering over her. She looked up at him, pulled out a fan, and held it in front of her face.  
  
"Well... if you say so..." She started to walk away. As she went behind him, she suddenly kicked his legs out from under him. As he tumbled down, she quickly pinned him. She held her fan under his throat.  
  
"Oh, but did I forget to tell you these are razor sharp? You may be taller. You may be older. But I am faster. And the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Terentia stood on the side hiding a smile. After Ming got off Hasani, Terentia walked over and extended a hand  
to help him up.  
  
"You think thats funny."  
  
"Yes." Hasani glared at her and Ming.   
  
"So why didn't you help me out or warn me?"  
  
"We agreed that we each carry our own weight. Not shouldering each other's burdens. I thought you should be able to handle a 16 year..."  
  
"And a half! 16 and a half!" Ming moved over to the two of them and got her two cents in.  
  
"A 16 and a half year old girl."  
  
"So you think she should come."  
  
"If she can take care of herself and we don't have to babysit her, let her do what she wants. Thats how I got my start."  
  
"I can take care of myself!" Ming unfolded both her fans.  
  
"Plus do you know what Zone and Baign look like?" Terentia started to put her hair in a ponytail. "I know I don't."  
  
"Well... still..." He got up and brushed dirt off his pants.  
  
"She does. I figure if she can take care of herself and not be a bother, then let the kid tag along."  
  
"Yes! Cool! So let's go!" Ming ran ahead of them towards the East. "Zone went this way! Hurry! The quicker we catch him, the quicker we can start on more new adventures!"  
  
======  
  
  
[A/N: I'm kind of getting bored with this series, so tell all of you what, if you want me to continue, review and let me know. If not, then.. um, review and let me know. Either way I'll probably do chapters 5 + 6, because I already have them planned out. Thanks!] 


	5. Chapter 5

Lunar Cry: Starting a Journey

Chapter 5

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I own these characters! Woo hoo! And my second favorite character just joined the party! Square's FF8 inspired this series though.

======

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Terentia slashed a tree branch that dared block her path with her rapier.

"Of course. I've lived here my whole life! Well... practically my whole life! I know these woods like the back of my hand." Ming said as she hopped over some fallen limbs. Hasani just muttered under his breath. Ming stopped in her tracks.

"Got something you wanna share with the group?"

"You're not part of the group. You're just here to point us in the way." He cursed as Ming flung a pine cone at him.

"Dork. You're not worth my time old man."

"Old man? Oh please. That the best you can up with?"

Terentia shook her head as she listened to them bicker back and forth.

~I wonder if I have any duct tape...~ She wondered as she saw Ming start on another tirade.

"What do you mean by calling me kid? Do I look like a little kid to you?"

"You don't want me to answer that."

"Just wait till one of those baddies comes after us. I'll show you. 'Oh, help me Ming!'" She danced around in front of Hasani. "And what will I say? 'No, cause you're a meanie.' That will show you."

"So how much farther until we're out of here?" Terentia broke her silence. Ming looked at her. 

"So you can be sociable? I thought that brief conversation we all had before we left was just a fluke."

"I talk when I feel like talking. Well?" Terentia walked up and strategically stood in between the two of them.

~At least the fighting will stop for a little while.~ 

"I dunno, probably half an hour till we hit the train station. I figure since that's the direction that Baign guy and Zone headed in, they probably wanna catch the train for New York island." Ming said while shifting back and forth from foot to foot.

"Why New York island though?" Hasani asked.

"There's a major Haven there. Its in a new dock city, Balamb. They probably want to do something to it. Maybe to get attention." Terentia said as she started walking forward again. 

"Really? I never knew there was a Haven there..." Ming said while leaping over some small bushes. A family of rodent like creatures hopped out and turned to look at her, with their noses twitching and long ears pointed forwards. "Eeep!" Ming brought out her fans and unfolded them.

"Ming... they're rabbits..." Hasani said while slapping his forehead with his empty hand.

"Oh. Are they dangerous?" She leaned forward to look at them. They all ran away.

"About as dangerous as you are." Hasani said while walking faster to catch up to Terentia. He eased his pace when he reached her side.

"Oh, so they're deadly creatures. Okay, I'll remember that." Ming hopped up and tried to catch up to them.

"You know anything else about that Haven?" Hasani asked. Terentia paused, and then looked at him.

"Not all that much. Its like every other Haven. Its pretty large, in the middle of town. In fact, if you'd go by the size of the town, you'd think a Haven that large wouldn't belong there. But since its the only one on the island, they decided that instead of placing it in one of the larger city, where it would belong, that they'd ruin a small town and place a Haven there."

Hasani nodded and looked at her. He seemed to notice that she knew more than she let on, but decided not to push it. He knew if he did, she'd get all defensive.

"Wow! So did you live there? Grow up there?" Ming hopped in front of the two of them.

"None of your business..." Terentia pushed forward. 

"Great. Just my luck. I get sent on my first mission outside the Timber area and who are my traveling companions? A couple of meanies!" 

"Then don't travel with us!" Hasani called out as he looked back.

"Yeah, but then I would probably have to resort to working on some street corner. I can't take any other missions until we finish this one. So, we're all stuck together."

"Isn't that the forest's end?" Terentia ran up to the edge. There was a small station, with a train waiting. A small group of people were standing around.

"THAT'S ZONE!" Ming yelled. Hasani quickly clamped his hands over her mouth.

"Shut up! You wanna get us caught?"

"Shhh....!" Terentia put her finger in front of her mouth to emphasize her point. "Follow me."

Hasani nodded, but Ming waited.

"Why? What are we doing?" Hasani walked over and clamped his hand over Ming's mouth, and dragged her along with them. The three ran up to the train's caboose, and slowly climbed in. 

"So what do we do?" Hasani asked, still keeping his hand over Ming's mouth.

"We find out what car Zone's riding in. There's a good chance it could be the same car Baign's in. We might even be able to find out what they're trying to do on New York island."

Terentia walked to the front of the car and peered through the tiny window.

"And after that?"

"I don't know." Terentia turned around. Hasani looked at her wide-eyed. "I didn't say I had a definite plan yet. Just an idea. And its working so far..."

"And what if they send out soldiers to patrol the train? Huh? Well?" Ming worked free of Hasani's grasp.

"Quit being such a worry-wart. Soldiers come we beat them up and take their uniforms. Right?" Ming looked back and forth from Hasani to Terentia. Terentia leaned against the wall, thinking.

"Don't tell me you're considering that!" Hasani asked as he got up and stood next to Terentia. 

"It isn't that bad... and if soldiers did come patrolling this part of the train, it would work... Besides, I have another idea..." 

"What?" Terentia pointed at the roof of the car in front of them. 

"We walk along the roof. Stop when we reach the car our man's in. Then just kind of act like flies on the wall."

"On the roof?" The two looked at Ming.

"Yeah so?" Hasani asked.

"Of the train? While its moving?"

"Yeah..." Terentia said while looking out the window again.

"Um, but I'm afraid of heights..." Ming looked down at ground. Terentia and Hasani exchanged a glance. "But, I'll try..."

"Well, then let's go for it."

======


	6. Characters

Lunar Cry: Characters  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Authors Note: Since in the FF8 book they gave a quick description of   
all the characters ahead of time, I'm doing that for this too. Also,  
some of them have names that mean something and may later apply to   
their character, so I'm mentioning that too. I typed this up to help  
me with the story, so I figured I should put this up too.  
  
Also: I want to thank my Beta-readers: MegalomaniacHaruka and WhiteWolf  
for all their help o^-^o  
======  
  
[Description of the lands]   
(hint: Look at the map in the game guide for FF8)  
After the Lunar Cry, all the lands of the world were destroyed, split  
apart, or fused together. The lands of the Americas is where our story  
takes place. New York has been separated, and a Haven is set up on  
it. There is also an old Floridian City connected to the continents  
by railroad. Where California was is a series of prisons. There are  
Havens scattered across the lands. Centra is the main continent in the  
South. It is a mixture of land from all the continents of the old Earth   
we are used to and is considered to be a new hope for everyone. A  
Utopia.  
  
[Heros]  
  
Terentia (ta-ren-shah) Weatta:  
Age: 18  
Weapon: Rapier  
Hair: Dyed yellow with black tips  
Eyes: Blue  
Outfit: Black sleeveless turtleneck catsuit. Yellow sweatshirt over it.  
What her name means: First: guardian Last: angel of the seal  
Description: She is essentially a nomad Rogue. She doesn't believe   
there is a sorceress or greater evil behind all the world's troubles.   
All she thinks is people are looking for someone to blame for   
everything. She moves across the wastelands that America once was. She   
is a member of one of the many fighting Havens scattered where major   
cities once were. Despite the fact that many other Rogues from the  
Havens have just discovered GFs and magic, she refuses to junction   
any kind of magic at all. She doesn't want to rely on anyone, mainly  
because she doesn't want to shoulder someone else's troubles, or  
have someone have to put up with her and shoulder her problems. She  
occasionally reads tarot cards for money.  
A/N: Part Squall, part Cloud, part Yuki from Persona, Revelations; and   
part Rutee from Tales of Destiny. She has an attitude, but isn't that  
really that opposed to letting people know her. She's essentially a  
mercenary who doesn't like to talk about her past. She is smart, and  
because of her skill and status is respected.  
(age at Lunar Cry: 5)  
  
Hasani Feren:  
Age: 20  
Weapon: His own design. He calls it a gunblade...  
Hair: Black crew cut  
Eyes: Brown  
Outfit: Brown bomber jacket over a white shirt. Blue jeans.  
Description: He is a very handsome and mysterious young man. He also   
looks like an intimidating player. In reality he is a teddybear   
figure. Despite the fact that most Rogues have started their profession  
when they are 15 or younger, he is one of the few who got a late start,  
and he joined his first guild at 17. Despite this though, he seems to   
excel in his field. Of course, that may be because he is the only   
person on Earth who uses a gunblade...  
A/N: He's kind of like Raijin except no ya knows, bigger part, and   
he's more popular. He's more of a leader.   
(age at Lunar Cry: 7)  
  
Mingrui Wu:  
Age: 16 (And a half!)  
Weapon: fans  
Hair: Black  
Eyes: Brown (They're Hazel!)  
Outfit: Blue tube top. black fleece vest. Black slacks.  
What her name means: bright, light, brilliant; clear; sharp.  
Description: She is a happy, bright, and energetic teenager. She isn't  
invited to join a Haven. She kind of... forces her way in. Like   
most people, she is an orphan. She lived in China when the Lunar Cry  
occured 15 years ago. When China started collapsing though, that was   
when she, at age 9, snuck on board a ship destined for the old   
Americas. She enjoys portraying an innocent, helpless image, then   
tearing it to shreds as she attacks.   
A/N: I always liked the energy and happiness Selphie added to the  
game and group, and I decided I wanted someone like that as a hero.  
(age at Lunar Cry: 3)  
  
Marius Deiling:  
Age: 19  
Weapon: his fists   
Hair: Blond bowl cut  
Eyes: Blue  
Outfit: Khaki pants. Black t-shirt. Dogtags. fingerless gloves.  
Description: Marius is, in the opinion of all Rogues and   
refugees everywhere, a waste of talent. His father was the President  
before the Lunar Cry. He was always a great leader and brilliant   
student. He even went to Yale, one of the only major colleges that  
survived all the crisises. Instead of trying to help organize a   
solution and get into politics, he threw it all away and joined a   
Haven. Instead of being loved and applauded for his choice to help  
others, he is disrespected by refugees and no Rogue in any standing  
will work with him. He is the only one who has seen the so called   
'Sorceress.'  
A/N: He is named after a saint and, well would you look at that... his  
last name is Deiling. What could that mean... People expected more   
of him, and now he's let them down. I wanted a character in the group  
who wanted to prove that he could succeed and help people by becoming  
a rogue.  
(age at Lunar Cry: 6)  
  
Elona Jobey  
Age: 18  
Weapon: GFs and Magic  
Hair: Black  
Eyes: Red  
Outfit: A long black cape/robe. Black pants. A black shirt.  
What her name means: Alone, The Persecuted. dark, shadow.  
Description: She is essentially a mystery. Havens have tried to have  
her Rogue status removed, but they can never find a solid reason.   
She also never carries any weapons, and rumors have said she is the   
first to have junctioned GFs and used magic. Even when she has no   
magic, it seems like whoever faces her falls in combat. She is very  
quiet, but still is quite sociable. She blends in well with her   
surroundings. She writes spells and makes potions to get by when   
people won't hire her because of her reputation.  
A/N: Nope, can't say anything about her, I might give away something   
about the story.  
(age at Lunar Cry: 5)  
  
Beval  
Age: 28  
Weapon: daggers with blades on both ends  
Hair: White  
Eyes: Green  
Outfit: Black pants and a gold necklace.  
What his name means: Like the wind  
Description: He is the wind, as far as anyone is concerned. He steals  
to get by, and was almost removed from the Rogues because of his   
gratuitous stealing. He is essentially a clown. He remembers 'the good   
old days.' He often talks about wishing he could still find a White   
Castle and how he misses his CD player. He always carries what he   
calls a Game Boy and a new variety of skateboard he calls a T-board.  
A/N: Come on, I had to have someone around someone who remembered  
'the good old days' that we live in now.  
(age at Lunar Cry: 15)  
  
Seridon Zahmat  
Age: 18  
Weapon: Sawed off shotgun  
Hair: Long Blondish  
Eyes: Green  
Outfit: A black leather jacket. A white tank top. Dogtags. Jeans.  
What his name means: Wild one. Trouble.  
Description: He is a wild one, and one of the very few people ever   
removed from the Rogues. No one knows why though. He is considered  
to be a charmer, and be very intelligent. Even though he was removed  
from the Rogues, he managed to get his hand on a GF. He tends to   
ignore what people tell him, even if it concerns his own safety. He  
wants to make his own decisions and learn from his own mistakes.   
Sometimes he sits around shop corners running crooked casino like   
games.  
A/N: Again, can't say too much or I'll give away a part of the story.  
(age at Lunar Cry: 5)  
  
[villains]  
  
Baign Guillaume  
Age: ??  
Weapon: Broad Sword, later a gunblade.  
Description: He is the very first Sorceress's knight. Not much is   
known about him, accept he runs across America attacking shelters  
and guilds for no reason in the name of some man named Hyne and a  
Sorceress...  
A/N: Every sorceress needs a knight. Plus a cool little fact, I   
got both his names (1st + last) from names of real knights from our  
past.  
  
Sorceress Amaia Zila  
Age: ??  
Weapon: ??  
What her name means: end. shadow.  
Description: The question on everyone's mind is, is she even real?  
Only a few have 'allegedly' seen her. So no one really knows if she's  
real...  
A/N: For some reason I think she's cool, even though I don't really  
know much about her yet.  
  
Hyne  
Age: ????  
Weapon: Anything he touches he can turn into a weapon  
Description: All anyone knows is that, unlike the Sorceress, he truely  
does exist. They're not sure if he's good or evil, because when they  
see him, he never really does anything to hurt anyone, yet the   
Sorceress's Knight Baign also acts in his name... There is also a   
religious group that has started a religion, Hynianity, that   
revolves around him, and paints him as good and the sorceress as evil.  
A/N: I haven't seen a story yet with Hyne as himself and as a major  
component of a story. He is definitely a villain. And he is already a  
god in this story.   
  
[Side Characters]  
  
Wedge  
Age: 19  
Description: He's Hasani's friend, and even though he never seems to  
fight, always as all the latest news and appears all over the world.  
  
Cid  
Age: 27  
Description: He's the head of the Timber Owls Haven in Timber. He's  
the youngest Haven head on the old Americas continent, and used to   
be a famous Rogue until a T-Rexar bit off his leg.  
  
Biggs  
Age: 30  
Description: He's the man who discovered GFs and learned Rogues can  
junction them to gain strength and magic. He lives on the new Centra  
continent where he gathers information about all the known GFs.  
  
Jessie  
Age: 25  
Description: She is Cid's wife, and she runs a small school in Timber  
for all the children who pass through. She can be overly trusting   
though.  
  
Zone  
Age: 17  
Description: He's Baign's head man. His assistant who usually does all   
his dirty work. Its just a shame he hates the sight of blood... 


End file.
